Watch this two-part instructional video to begin carving gaming terrain and various art projects out of high density foam. This type of pink foam is called Styrospan. It's easy to carve, inexpensive and can be easily repaired with glue. Part 1 of 2 - How to Begin to carve foam ...more
Are you in need of some kind of mold or cast for your next feature film, but need to save a few bucks? As an alternative to casting (making a shape from a mold) one can carve foam into a desired shape and then coat the foam with liquid latex. This will not create a perfectly s ...more
Are your hobbies building model trains? Well, I hope you are building your own model sets the way you want to, but if you're stumped in the model railroading process, check out this nine-part video tutorial to see how to model railroad scenery using extruded foam. If you aren' ...more
Here are some examples of brickwork for dioramas or war game terrain. Create a fine grit coating for foam carvings using a mixture of white glue, paint and fine sand. Press in brick patterns into foam, or if working in smaller scale, you can coat cardboard with a thin coat of ...more
Carving Jack-O'-Lanterns is actually one of the safest parts of Halloween, despite the sharp knives involved. There are all kinds of techniques and styles, and this video will give you some great tips to help your pumpkin carving. It includes tips for keeping your pumpkin from ...more
Warning: this video does not demonstrate the actual instructions for making this spooky Halloween LED light up pumpkin that blasts a truck horn. Check out http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/10/howto_tuesday_scariest_pu.html for more information and a complete build process. ...more
Tunnels can help make your model railroad set-up come alive. But professionally made tunnels can be expensive, and they lack character. In this tutorial you'll learn how to make your own, customized tunnels. Materials needed: Styrofoam, either in two-inch thick sheets or larg ...more
Well it's time to put on the school play! This year, the school's going to put on Chekov's "The Cherry Tree". Only problem? You have no tree. Well, this helpful how to will guide you through the steps to make a light, portable tree that will turn your school play on its head. ...more
Watch this three part tutorial to build a miniature ziggurat. Use pink Styrospan high density foam. Assemble this model of a step sided pyramid with a ruler, some glue and an x-acto knife. The pink foam is easy to carve and can be repaired with glue if broken. Part 1 of 3 - Ho ...more
In this video, Dr. Shawnboy gives a graphic demonstration of how to deep-fry a whole turkey in 100% bacon grease. The major problem that is encountered while doing so is that, unlike peanut oil, bacon grease starts foaming almost as soon as the turkey is dipped into it. A very ...more
This collection of videos will show you, step by step, how to carve a tri-colored pattern into a foam pumpkin. The first video has an introduction, a greeting, and will show you the tools that will be used. Then follow along with the pumpkin carving, shading, and skinning proc ...more
In this video series, watch as expert kayaker James Sullivan teaches beginning kayaking tricks while playing in holes and waves. Learn how to find a good hole and identify a bad one, how to enter a hole from above and the side, how to move forward and backwards in a hole, how ...more
I loved my Lite-Brite as a kid. There was just something about using those little multicolored pegs to make my own designs, and it's not exactly a secret that kids love anything that lights up (LED sneakers, anyone?). So how do you combine the old-school fun of Lite-Brite with ...more
You can bet Thor costumes will be prominent among the superheroes seen this Oct. 31. Since the summer, there has been no shortage of coverage for Thor: Ragnarok, and the timing of its November release couldn't be better as a tie-in with the cosplaying holiday known as Hallowee ...more
The wildfires that spread across Northern California for two weeks in November were among the deadliest and most destructive in the state's history. Ultimately, the incident claimed 85 lives, and hundreds of people are still missing in the wake of the disaster, which impacted ...more
A well-executed jack-o'-lantern can be pretty damn impressive, but some of us lack the carving skills necessary to pull it off and end up disappointed. Sometimes you just don't want to put in all the time required to cut open a pumpkin, gut it, and chisel an elaborate face or ...more
Kylo Ren, conflicted villain of the new Star Wars trilogy, will surely be a major presence again this Halloween, with The Last Jedi fast approaching. His costume, all black and layered, complete with dark-side helmet and crossguard lightsaber, seems quite perfect for Oct. 31 — ...more